Across the globe, college and university-aged students are experiencing high levels of stress and mental ill-health. For example, in the past ten years in the UK, there has been a fivefold increase in the number of students reporting mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
Intense workloads and increased pressure to attain high grades coupled with long waits for mental health services are just some of the reasons behind this crisis.
During assessment periods, student life can often be quite solitary, with long hours spent studying in the library or alone in your room. At such points in the term, finding the time to get outdoors for a walk in a natural setting can be difficult. However, new research has shown that doing so could be extremely beneficial.
A study conducted at Cornell University in America has found that as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting can help students feel happier, and lessen the effects of both physical and mental stress.
To enjoy the positive effects of being outside, serious exercise is not necessary. The study found that students need only to be sitting or walking to experience an improvement in their mood.
The research is part of a larger examination of “nature therapy” and aims to provide an easily-achievable dosage that health practitioners could prescribe as a preventive measure against the high levels of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues that students face.
“Simple and Achievable”
“It doesn’t take much time for the positive benefits to kick in — we’re talking 10 minutes outside in a space with nature,” said lead researchers Gen Meredith and Donald Rakow. “We firmly believe that every student, no matter what subject or how high their workload, has that much discretionary time each day, or at least a few times per week.”
“We wanted to keep this access to nature as simple and achievable as possible. While there is a lot of literature on longer outdoor programs, we wanted to quantify doses in minutes, not days.”
“This is an opportunity to challenge our thinking around what nature can be. It really is all around us: trees, a planter with flowers, a grassy quad or a wooded area.”
Students in Brighton
In Brighton, we are lucky to have plenty of stunning natural scenery right on our doorstep.
Students at the Falmer Campuses can walk straight from their universities to The South Downs National Park in a matter of minutes, while those based in the city centre are close to the beach and a number of excellent parks.
So, students in Brighton, make sure you are getting your daily dose of nature, whether that’s a long hike in the Downs or just sitting on the grass while eating your lunch!
Featured image: © Wikimedia.
